Sitting, Waiting, Wishing
by Sheep the Adventurer
Summary: In which Sarah wishes again, Jareth wishes she would stop wishing because it is annoying him. Oh, and they have a cordial conversation at some point.


**Sitting, **Waiting, **Wishing**

Jareth felt the by-now familiar twinge that meant that someone had just made The Wish. He also felt a familiar presence behind it. His eye twitched.

Glaring at nothing in particular, he stood up stiffly from his throne and stalked over to the window. He had been having a perfectly nice time just relaxing on his cold hard throne when he was called away…_again_.

It was really beginning to annoy him.

He transformed in a swirl of feathers and automatically flew his way through the veil to the Aboveground. He circled the house and made a calculated entrance through the window. The day was bright and sunny, rather an atypical weather pattern during The Wish, but Jareth had stopped bothering.

Jareth regained his human form in the room, and glared again. A girl with dark hair swung round on her chair, and smiled cheerily "Hello!" she greeted him jovially.

"Hello Sarah." Jareth replied sourly, crossing his arms. "What is it today? A child perhaps?" he finished sarcastically.

Around them, the goblins had materialised. One was sitting on her bed humming and swinging his short little legs. The others were generally milling around, some even waved at Sarah.

Sarah grinned, leaning back on her chair, she held up an empty drink can. "Heads up!" She tossed it over to him and he caught it deftly. He regarded it with distaste and sighed heavily.

This particular game of Sarah's had started a few years ago. One night, when in a particularly bad mood with her homework, she had wished it away accidentally. However, what she hadn't expected was that Jareth would turn up and _have _to take her homework. After deciding her homework perhaps wasn't worth running the Labyrinth for, she had breezily allowed him to take it. For Sarah, an angry teacher the next day had been a small price to pay for the irritation on the Goblin King's face.

He disappeared the can into his castle, hopefully into a bin somewhere. Or least onto one of the goblin's heads, he thought darkly, as they disappeared too.

Sarah was rotating the chair absently, watching him and still smiling. He breathed out aggrievedly "Do you wish to run the Labyrinth for the…_can_?" he spoke in a monotone, his eyes staring out of the window.

She didn't answer, and eventually curious, he looked at her. She had her legs tucked beneath her chin and her arms loosely hooked around them. Her attention seemed to have wandered.

"…Or would you prefer to waste some more of my time?" Jareth questioned acidly. Her attention snapped back and she smiled that smile again.

"Sorry, were you busy playing with your balls?" she said sweetly.

He stared, "My God," he said finally "When did you grow up?"

She stood up breezily "Well, technically in the last few years." She shot him a sly sideways look "Its my birthday today, you know."

Jareth considered this "No, actually. Nor do I particularly care."

Sarah sighed in mock sadness "You wound me, dear heart."

Jareth raised an eyebrow "My, my. Someone's been doing _amateur _dramatics." He sniped delicately.

Sarah plopped down on her bed "Whatever you say. This _amateur _has a lead part."

Jareth sat down, ignoring the part of him that told him to just _go_. He crossed his legs elegantly.

"Oh really? Is it the local nativity play? I always knew you'd make a perfect donkey."

Sarah gave him a flat look. "Funny." She said drolly. "Nope, actually I'm Ophelia. The tragic beauty who goes insane and drowns herself. Shakespeare."

Jareth looked wistful "If only that would really happen." He held a gloved fist to his heart "If only." He sighed, casting his gaze heavenward.

Sarah smiled and stood up again. She sketched a curtsey.

"Good my lord, how does your honour for this many a day?" she quoted, looking innocent.

Jareth leant back against Sarah's vanity table, looking vaguely amused. "I humbly thank you; well, well, well." He replied with a grin.

Sarah spun around "Impressive. Do you know Shakespeare then?" she asked lightly.

Jareth waved a casual hand "Maybe I did know him."

"Wow, that old, huh?" Sarah sat down again, a challenge in her eye.

"That," Jareth said succinctly, putting down the hairbrush he had been examining to look at her "Is none of your business."

"That's what my great aunt said when I asked her. Means _someone _is verging on ancient." Sarah stretched languorously.

"You have no idea."

Sarah rolled her eyes impatiently at the Goblin King who was inspecting his gloves for any sort of dirt.

"Huh. So how's the Labyrinth?" questioned Sarah finally, sensing she was not going to find out how old he was _that _way.

Jareth looked up finally "The Labyrinth is fine. And so are your friends, which reminds me, I'll have to catch them and take horrible revenge at some point." He smiled pleasantly.

Sarah looked skeptical "Yeah, right." But she began to look uncertain as Jareth appeared to be thinking deeply.

"You wouldn't." She repeated nervously.

Jareth grinned suddenly, sensing her worry. "Of course not. If I was going take revenge I would have done it by now. Maybe I have."

Sarah growled, realizing he was teasing her. "You are a cruel, vindictive Goblin King."

He laughed; a deep, rich sound. "I feel we've been through this before."

Sarah picked up a script that lay beside her on the bed, she flicked through it. "I'm supposed to be learning my lines. You're distracting me." She announced loftily.

Jareth sniffed "Could practice a death scene if you want. I do particularly like that."

Sarah looked up with a contemptuous glance "You don't _see_ Ophelia die in the play."

"I wasn't talking about the play."

Sarah ignored him, standing up, still holding the script "I think this is going to be good." She said happily. "Daniel is a great Hamlet. And Anya is improving as Gertrude…There's great chemistry between the actors."

Jareth leant back "Oh really?" He rested his fingertips lightly against each other. He raised an eyebrow "Do tell." He said gently.

She glanced at him, and sat down on her bed with aplomb. She held the script aloft "What? Want to hear all the juicy details?" she asked wickedly.

Jareth chuckled softly "I thank you for the offer, but I have no wish to know."

"You probably know already, with your balls."

Jareth looked pained "Crystals, _crystals_." He enunciated.

Sarah contrived to look innocent "What? I meant crystal balls. What did you think I meant?"

Jareth stared at her flatly.

Sarah pouted for a moment, then brightened again "I'm glad we can talk like this, I mean, after your humiliating defeat."

"Indeed, how is the child?"

"Not a goblin, last time I checked," Sarah paused "Well, he's mostly human anyway. I don't know where he gets all that energy to have so many tantrums from…" she finished thoughtfully.

"...I could take him."

"No, you can't."

"Hm." Jareth yawned delicately, revealing pointed teeth, rather like a cat "Pity."

Sarah frowned "Why would you want more goblins anyway?"

"In case you hadn't noticed, I'm the Goblin King, and without goblins…well now, that makes the title a little superfluous now, doesn't it?" Jareth explained, now onto examining a tube of lipstick lying on her dresser.

Sarah shimmied back on her bed so she could sit back on her pillow, settling herself comfortably "Hey, tell me something. Why is it you _have _to answer all the wishes?"

Jareth regarded her levelly "An irritating clause in the metaphorical contract, I'm afraid. Presumably to keep me doing my job."

Sarah pondered this "Isn't that a little unfair?"

Jareth smirked "Well, of course, it wasn't too much of a problem until a certain someone starting making annoying little wishes. But yes, I suppose it is a little unfair."

Sarah waved an unconcerned hand "I occasionally need to reassure myself that am indeed sane, and that you do exist."

"Arguably I may just be a figment of your over active imagination."

"Good point."

Jareth tilted his head, and leant forward "There must be another reason." He said softly, insinuating.

Sarah sat up sharply "And just what is that supposed to mean?" she demanded, her cheeks flushed, indignant.

Jareth stood languidly and walked over to the bed, he sat down on the side of it. Sarah watched him with trepidation, curious despite herself. "You're too close." She murmured as he sat by her.

He simply smiled, his gaze flickering over her face.

Then he kissed her.

On the cheek.

Some inner part of Sarah cursed violently.

"Happy birthday, my dear." He whispered with a knowing look in his eye. "And next time, just call my name."

He disappeared.

Sarah cleared her throat, and rearranged her hair uncomfortably. She sat in silence for a few minutes. She looked at the script and sighed heavily.

She began to reach for it then hesitated. She frowned.

"Oh sod it." She muttered. "Jareth!" she called.

He appeared almost at once. He didn't look annoyed, on the contrary rather pleased.

"Yes?" he inquired politely.

She fixed him with a smouldering gaze. "Kiss me, you fool!"

He complied readily.

* * *

In short, needed a break from angst, got writer's block on other humour story, and this idea came to me. It was a refreshing change that they weren't both miserable, to be quite honest. 

Please review, if only to silence my inner voice which cries 'Too much dialogue!'

Oh, and a cookie for whoever knows where the title is from :)


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